Maryann notes: 'With all the negotiations at the table, children lose sight of their internal signals of hunger and fullness.

'By the time they are adults, the "shoulds" of eating rule over their body’s own wisdom and they don’t even know what being full means.

'Researchers at the University of
Minnesota found that young adults who used hunger and fullness to guide
eating not only had a lower body mass index than those who didn’t, they
also had lower instances of disordered eating.

'The girls were also less likely to diet and binge-eat,' writes Maryanne in the New York Times,

The
same study found children who are allowed to guide their eating through
intuition grow into adults with lower rates of disordered eating and
diet less.

A study published in the May edition of journal Pediatrics
found half of all parents expect their adolescent children to clean
their plates, while a third prompted them to eat more - even after they
stated they were full.

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Researchers
found this to be detrimental to children's wellbeing and suggest
parents guide children to eat in moderation rather than encourage over
consumption.

A psychologist
and research leader at Queensland University of Technology studied
children's eating habits and concluded those who grow up with eating
disorders strive to take control over their body - something which they
may feel has somewhat been taken away from them.

Children who are allowed to guide their eating through intuition have lower rates of disordered eating

Dr Linda Gilmore. said: 'Parents
should not turn mealtime into a struggle for control, because some
evidence suggests that eating disorders such as anorexia stem from a
desire to take control over one's own body.

'If children are forced to sit at
the table until they eat it this turns into a struggle for who has
power over the child's eating habits which could well set the scene for
later eating problems.'

A 2007 study published in the journal Appetitefound 85 per cent of parents tried to get children to eat more.

Those who use hunger and fullness to guide eating are less likely to diet and binge-eat

Eighty-three per cent of children ate
more than they might otherwise have, with 38 per cent eating moderately
to substantially more.

Parents would used reasoning, praise,
and food rewards, mothers being more inclined to praise girls for eating
while fathers would use pressure tactics with boys.

'A third of parents prompted their children to eat more - even after they stated they were full'

The researches concluded that 'it may be
that parents are inadvertently socialising their children to eat past
their internal hunger/satiety cues' and that their data 'reinforces
recommendations that parents should provide nutritious foods and
children, not parents, should decide what and how much of these foods
they eat'.

'A "happy plate" is one in front of a child who’s permitted to listen to her body,' writes Maryanne.

'Not our out-of-date rules.'

Maryann is co-author of the new book Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters From High Chair to High School.

'Parents should provide nutritious foods, not decide what and how much of these foods children eat'

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Leading nutritionist says making your child clean their plate could give them an eating disorder